South Central Reporter

There were 2,682 white students enrolled in Fayette County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.3% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 94.5% of the 2,838 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Fayette County, Vandalia Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 516 students.

As of the 2023-24 school year, Illinois public schools enrolled approximately 1.85 million students across nearly 4,000 schools. There was roughly one teacher for every 15 students, slightly better than the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting the state's demographic changes. Between the 2019–20 and 2022–23 school years, Illinois public school enrollment declined from approximately 1.98 million to 1.85 million students, a decrease of about 127,000 students or 6.4%. This decline is significantly higher than the typical annual decreases of 0.5% to 1.5% observed in the preceding years, reflecting broader demographic shifts within the state.

School name	% of White students enrolment	Total enrollment
Vandalia Elementary School	92.5%	558
Vandalia Junior High School	90.5%	524
Vandalia Community High School	92.7%	370
Brownstown Elementary School	100%	269
St. Elmo Elementary School	97.3%	224
Ramsey Elementary School	97.1%	206
South Central High School	98.4%	185
Ramsey High School	94.1%	185
St. Elmo Senior High School	94.8%	116
Brownstown High School	96.6%	87
Brownstown Junior High School	100%	59
St. Elmo Junior High School	96.4%	55